Sex pheromone control (Codling moth)

There are three basic methods by which a pest’s sex pheromone can be exploited for control:

  • Mating disruption where the pheromone is used alone to interfere with the normal attraction of males to females by providing false trails and/or sensory overload
  • Mass trapping where the sex pheromone is used to attract males to a trap where they are captured and killed physically
  • Attract and kill where the sex pheromone attracts males to a device or place where they come into contact with an insecticide

Pheromone attract and kill:
The sex pheromone is incorporated into a material together with an insecticide (usually a synthetic pyrethroid).

  • Blobs of the material are extruded onto the trunk and branches of trees throughout the orchard (typically 1-2 blobs per tree) at the start of moth flight, as indicated by pheromone traps.
  • The males attempt to mate with the blobs, picking up a dose of insecticide in the process.
  • The technique is effective and uses a fraction of the amount of insecticide used in an insecticide spray treatment.
  • However, no product is approved for use in the UK currently.